


Here, for the Moment

by chibinocho



Series: The Moments [2]
Category: The Lost Future of Pepperharrow, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - Natasha Pulley
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Jealousy, M/M, Temporarily Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:20:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24511441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibinocho/pseuds/chibinocho
Summary: Thaniel's divorce from Grace comes through. He begins to wonder if he is doing the right thing. Luckily Mori is happy to show him he is.
Relationships: Keita Mori/Thaniel Steepleton
Series: The Moments [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745614
Comments: 7
Kudos: 38





	Here, for the Moment

**Author's Note:**

> I should have been working but ... I still like doing these. All these fics are obviously linked by the word 'moment' and will be moments in Thaniel and Keita's life of various ratings etc. This one just happens to be explicit ... again.

Thaniel stared at the letter on crisp linen paper that announced his annulment and reflected that if his father still lived then quite possibly this would have killed him. 

In only a year Thaniel Steepleton had gone from being a lowly Home Office telegraphist who lived alone in a ratty flat in Pimlico to a telegraphist and senior translator in the Foreign Office and part time pianist to the D'Oyly Carte who now lived in Knightsbridge in a medieval street and was in an intimate physical relationship with a male Japanese watchmaker after getting an annulment from his wife - of a mere few weeks - who was the daughter of a lord and had given up a large house in Belgravia to do it. For the son of a gamekeeper from the arse end of Lincolnshire it was certainly an interesting sequence of events. Scratch possibly. If his father had still been living, this would definitely have killed him.

Mori entered the kitchen from the workshop just as Thaniel put the letter down on the table and rested his chin on his laced hands with a deep sigh. Mori clearly already knew what the letter that had arrived at Filigree Street that morning actually was but he politely went past Thaniel, washed the grease from his hands and put the kettle on the stove for tea without the word. Once he had turned back to the table, Thaniel proffered him the letter. 

“It arrived.” he said simply.

Mori unfolded the thick creamy paper and read through the contents critically, reading each line with all the care of a clerk, pausing only to assemble tea cups. The letter confirmed that the consummation of the marriage between Grace Carrow and Nathaniel Steepleton had never taken place and therefore could be annulled legally. It embarrassed Thaniel to see it spelled out legally on paper that he and Grace had never consummated their marriage and therefore the marriage was null and void with no blame on either party. There then followed a list of assets that now belonged to both parties. Thaniel’s was considerably smaller.

Thaniel was particularly grateful that no other reasons had been given, especially when he considered exactly how he actually spent his wedding night: kissing Mori in the dark and then - even after being confronted by his wife with this truth - still climbing those stairs to end up entwined naked with Mori in the light of a single bulb until they both reached their pleasure. That memory at first gave him a jolt of desire and then a sudden shameful wave of nausea. He was again beyond relieved Grace had kept her word and stuck rigidly to the non-consummation declaration with no other reasons for the annulment, even though she clearly knew what was going on between Mori and Thaniel. Thaniel's secret would hopefully remain exactly that. And all it had cost Thaniel was the house in Belgravia. The house and it’s entire contents were now solely in Grace’s name and the general consensus from those that knew of the annulment was that the marriage had been a rush of madness from both parties. It was a cheap ransom for the price of silence and a life away from hard labour or an asylum.

The letter was laid down and a steaming cup of green tea was placed silently in front of him. Thaniel nodded his thanks from between the cradle of his hands. He wanted to break down into tears, laugh hysterically, wake up from this dream. Nothing seemed real at that point. He felt his hands run through his hair, clench into his scalp and his elbows hit the hard wood of the table with a dull clunk. He had known from the start that he and Grace would never have had a traditional marriage and it had become increasingly likely that they wouldn’t have had a happy one either. He should be happy that his final link to Grace was severed but somehow it seemed to bring it home to him that he had deliberately cut himself adrift into a world where any happiness he had would have to be kept a closely-guarded secret for fear of what would happen if they were discovered.

Mori was a silent presence behind him although he could feel the air shift as he moved closer and Mori’s concern for him seemed almost palpable. He turned in the chair, rose up and without any preamble he stepped into Mori’s arms and embraced him, pleased to find Mori’s hands already around his waist and pulling him closer. Thaniel’s eyes stung as he rested his cheek against Mori’s forehead, letting the scent of lemon soap swirl around him like a blanket. His fingers dug into the thick wool of Mori’s soft aran jumper and he felt like he was holding on for dear life.

_ I need you.  _ Was what he wanted to say. _ And I need you to need me too _ . He suspected - or maybe hoped - that Mori felt the same but it was hard to tell in that regard. Although in many respects he was afraid to ask; he didn’t trust himself not to be a snivelling prick. 

“I’m sorry.” said Mori, his voice a dark honey gold rumble against his cheek and he did sound genuinely sorry. “I wouldn’t have had you go through this if …”

He never finished his sentence and Thaniel was grateful. He didn’t want to be one of those who only wanted Mori for his clairvoyance or because he was rich. He wanted Mori as a friend, a companion and … well … what else he wanted Mori to be should probably stay shoved right down inside resting alongside the strong feelings he had to half the diplomats who sent ridiculous requests to the Foreign Office. He didn’t want to force Mori into anything, just to get a chance to stay with him was enough. He had nothing else but Mori now. He raised Mori’s chin and kissed him simply because he could.

“Keita.” he said gently. "Shut up."

He kissed him again, harder this time and was pleased to hear Mori's intake of breath as Thaniel made countless decisions and thought about possible futures, fantasising about what pleasures they could have together and how he could so easily fall apart under Mori's hands no matter what the man did. His hands came to Mori's hips and pulled him in closer and the feeling of Mori's hands creeping around his waist made him shiver with anticipation of what may come.

"Thaniel." Mori's voice was ragged, his hardness now pushing against Thaniel's own through the fabric of their trousers and Thaniel felt a wash of pride that his mere thoughts could bring them both to this state.

If anyone had told him a few years ago that he would be willingly offering himself another man - the man he lived with nevertheless - and picturing more besides, he would have been hysterical but now it seemed a whole new normal. The thought of Mori taking him physically, possessing him utterly was such a powerful draw now that he was prepared to risk the asylum and the possibility of a life behind bars to spend more time in Mori's bed.

"Can we …" he murmured against Mori's lips.

"Of course." 

They didn't even make it to the stairs. Thaniel was too desperate and needy to wait to get to the bedroom; he wanted Mori too badly and he couldn't be sure that Mori was against the idea either. They managed to make it from the kitchen to the parlour before Thaniel wanted a further kiss and stopped, reeling Mori in with desperation and embracing him, fumbling for his knotted tie. Mori let himself be pulled close, sliding Thaniel’s own tie loose with a practised movement before Thaniel simply thought fuck it and they tumbled down together on the thick piled rug before the still-lit fireplace. Thaniel shrugged off his braces as his back landed against the floor, managing to catch a quick kiss. Mori knelt over him, unbuttoning Thaniel's shirt and slid off his trousers with beautifully deft fingers, leaving him in just his drawers in the warmth as clever fingers danced along his naked stomach and traced the fine line of hair down from his navel. The sound of Mori pulling the tie of his drawers was the palest pink in Thaniel's vision.

Thaniel suddenly recalled how self-conscious of his body he had been when they had first started this. In their first encounter - Thaniel's wedding night, like he could forget - he had insisted on barely any light at all in Mori's room, shedding his own clothes as if he was doing something shameful and trying to avoid Mori's gaze for fear Mori would see the naked lust in his eyes. He hadn't managed to ask Mori for anything but Mori had seen his intentions and simply taken the lead: laying him down on the bed and showing him exactly what he had never known he wanted. And how much he wanted more of it. But it had still taken Thaniel a long time to overcome his sense of shame at his desire for another man but Mori's quiet acceptance of anything he wanted had made him bolder over the last months.

"Please." He murmured, his voice thick as he pulled off Mori's jumper and unbuttoned his shirt, reaching for Mori's own trousers and working the buttons loose, pulling at the strings of his drawers and pushing fabric aside to expose his cock, proudly erect and pearling at the tip. He felt a fleeting touch of disappointment then that they hadn't made it up to Mori's room and to the bottle of oil there so Mori wouldn't be able to take him fully this evening but he was too desperate to feel Mori on him to care enough to break the embrace. He reached up to grasp the back of Mori's neck and pulled him down and back into their kiss, swallowing Mori's faint gasping moan of arousal as their pricks rubbed against each other.

"Keita." Thaniel managed to gasp against Mori's open mouth. Mori was wordless: his hips were already moving in a maddeningly slow rhythm, writhing against Thaniel’s, legs hopelessly tangled together. Thaniel's hand gripped Mori's hip, attempting to increase the perfect sticky friction between them. 

"Thaniel, I need … I …" Mori's voice cut through the panting and was cracked and broken. His cheeks suddenly flushed with embarrassment about being caught so unguarded.

Thaniel froze and realised suddenly for the first time in their interactions Mori had made his intentions and desires known and had actually asked for something rather than Thaniel simply taking what he wanted. That knowledge made Thaniel's breath suddenly come short and his chest swelled with the pleasure of being wanted. He lifted his hips against Mori's, and felt Mori respond in earnest with a soft, needy noise that made Thaniel's stomach clench with longing. They pushed against each other in a broken rhythm, each seeking their release. Thaniel then twisted onto his side to pull Mori alongside him and they thrust against each other. Thaniel gripped Mori's buttocks tightly, pulling him closer until they were fully flush together. 

"Oh god, Kei, please." He cried against Mori's lips. He didn't know what he was begging for now, only that he needed to look into Mori's eyes and see that the man he had chosen wanted this. Wanted him.

As if hearing him, Mori reached between them, wrapping his perfect hand around their pricks and stroking firmly; his depthless dark eyes meeting Thaniel's own with a naked look of want. Thaniel's moan sounded almost pathetic in his ears and he dropped his head gasping, clinging to Mori's shoulder with one desperate hand. He heard Mori's own breathing become staccato with his building pleasure and at the moment, he wished he could say out loud that he loved Mori utterly, that Mori was his everything, but no words came out. Then, as he thought about if he could ever say them, he reached his peak and spent over Mori's hand and scarcely seconds later he heard Mori's soft gasp and felt the pulse of Mori's own pleasure against him, warm and wet on his belly. 

They lay on the rug together, sticky and sated, with only the glowing amber embers and a single lamp illuminating them. Mori had retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and completed a perfunctory cleaning up and now they simply lay together covered by a soft plaid blanket that Thaniel had pulled off the armchair and warmed by the lingering heat of the fire. 

Thaniel thought about his marriage again then. Would there ever have been a point with Grace where the two would have made love on a rug in front of a fireplace? More to the point, would they ever have made love? He had told Grace that there would have been a child between them and there probably would have been eventually but he guessed it would have been an awkward coupling with little pleasure for either party. Certainly not conceived through making love on a rug in front of a fire because you were too passionate to make it up the stairs to the bedroom. He smiled at the thought of doing it again.

Mori caught his expression and looked quizzical before explaining.

"I can see futures and actions not read minds, Thaniel."

"I was realising how much I would have missed out on if I had married Grace Carrow."

To his surprise - and if he was totally honest his slight leap of joy - he spotted a flash of concern across Mori's face before his features settled into their customary calm.

"I hope that's not regret." said Mori lightly, although Thaniel could detect a tarnish of green in the customary gold of his voice. He wished he didn't care but it gave him a further unexpected jolt of pleasure that Mori may possibly be jealous. "Annulments are difficult to reverse and I think Lord Carrow would gladly take a contract out on you if you tried." Mori contin ued.

Thaniel made a face of mock horror before burying his head into Mori's shoulder as if hiding from an invisible Lord Carrow. To his relief, Mori's laugh was now a gentle warm ring of reassuring golden yellow. Whatever they had between them now, it wasn't going to to be broken any time soon. What they had would probably not be forever - thought Thaniel sadly knowing that no one like Mori would want to be with someone like him for long - but for now it was enough.

"I have no regrets." Thaniel answered, entwining his fingers with Mori's and settling back against Mori's shoulder. For that moment, he knew exactly where he was supposed to be.


End file.
